The room erupts in gasps. All eyes are on me. The woman who was supposed to stay away. The woman who promised to disappear. The woman who just walked into the wedding wearing white.
I keep walking, my heartbeat thundering in my chest. The weight of my dress drags against the marble floor, but I don’t stop.
Not when the whispers grow louder. Not when Ivy’s voice cuts through the air like a dagger. “What the hell is she doing here?”
I look past her, past the sea of stunned guests, and lock eyes with him.
Damian.
He stands at the altar, frozen. His sharp blue eyes widen with shock, then something else—something raw.
Hope.
For a second, the entire world fades. It’s just him and me.
Then—chaos erupts. Elias Calloway rises from his seat, his voice booming across the room.
“Stop her.”
Guards move instantly.
I feel the rush of footsteps, the shifting of bodies, but before they reach me—Damian moves first.
He steps off the altar, shoving past Ivy, past the officiant, his eyes locked on mine.
He reaches me before anyone else can. His hands grasp my arms, his fingers digging into my skin. His voice is hoarse, broken.
“Selene—what are you doing?”
I stare up at him, my breath shaking. “I’m saving you.”
His grip tightens. “You can’t be here. This isn’t—”
“This isn’t right,” I interrupt. “You don’t love her. You love me.”
Damian’s jaw clenches. “You think I don’t know that?” The words rip through me.
Because he’s right. He does know it. But he was still going to marry her. And I need to know why.
I open my mouth to demand answers—
But Ivy laughs. The sound is light, amused, but beneath it… there’s venom.
“You poor, desperate thing,” she muses, stepping forward. “You really think this changes anything?”
I turn to her, my eyes burning. “I think it changes everything.”
Ivy smirks. “Do you?”
She takes a slow, deliberate step forward. Then—she places a hand on her stomach. And just like that, my entire world tilts.
“I’m pregnant,” Ivy announces, her voice calm, steady, lethal.
The air is sucked from the room. I stumble back. “No.”
Ivy’s smile widens.
She presses her hand to her stomach again, tilting her head slightly. “Yes, Selene. I’m carrying Damian’s child.”
I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the chest.
I turn to Damian, my breath coming out ragged. “Tell me she’s lying.”
His face is pale. His eyes dart to Ivy, then back to me. He says nothing. Nothing.
And that’s all the answer I need. My vision blurs. My body shakes.
Ivy sighs dramatically. “You should have stayed away, Selene. I warned you.”
She steps toward Damian, reaching for his hand. He doesn’t pull away. I can’t breathe.
Ivy looks at the officiant, her voice sweet, triumphant. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
No. No, no, no. Damian turns to me one last time, something broken in his eyes. I see it. I see the words he wants to say.
But he doesn’t. Because he’s already made his choice.
And it’s not me. Tears burn my eyes as I step back, the weight of the moment crashing down on me.
The officiant clears his throat, resuming the ceremony.
Damian and Ivy stand side by side.
And I watch the love of my life marry another woman.
The ceremony is over. Then—a cold voice slices through the silence.
“Kill her.”